Meadows Issue 29 Registered Charity No. 1111345 Autumn 2018

Our aims are to conserve and enhance the landscape by enabling members to maintain, manage and restore their semi-natural grasslands and associated features

In This Issue From the Chair From the Chair ...... 1 Stephanie Tyler Contacting MMG ...... 2 It has been a very strange year for weather – very cold and very wet in MMG Committee ...... 4 the early spring and then dry and hot for many weeks in the late spring and New Members ...... 4 early summer. Grassland Fungi Guide ...... 4 Our Autumn Social ...... 5 Surveys Is Rye-grass Always Greener? ... 6 There has been a spate of new members but the survey team (Elsa Wood, Sheelagh Kerry and me) has managed to visit land owned by all these Fungus Group ...... 6 (except one) as well as re-visit several sites to see progress. Most sites are More Encounters with small areas of one or two acres but larger interesting sites included the Long-horned Bees ...... 7 29 acre Bealieu Ridge Farm owned by Bob Nock near Staunton, the 15 acre Members’ Meadows ...... 9 Pant y Pwll Farm at The Hendre owned by David and Jules Barrell and the A Management Service for 149 acre Three Pools Farm at Llanvetherine now owned by Huw Evans. Three Meadow Owners ...... 11 Pools Farm was also the venue for a Bioblitz organised by the South-east Hedgehogs: Halting the Biological Records Centre (SEWBReC) on 14 July at which the Group Decline ...... 11 was represented. Many small sites turned out to be of great interest as for Local Wildlife Sites ...... 12 example four acres on Barbadoes Hill recently bought by Richard Jackson and his wife where there was much Devil’s-bit Scabious, Spotted Orchids, Dates for your Diary ...... 14 Eyebright and many other plants.

Baling hay at Trellech Wet Meadow, Dick Coates

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Reserve Round-up it and preventing further encroachment. The orchids this The dry weather in July made mowing so much year were stunning – huge swathes of Heath Spotted easier this year and the hay was taken at all three of our Orchids, many Common Spotted Orchids and a lovely reserves during the summer. At Ida’s Meadow at patch of Early Marsh x Spotted Orchid hybrids. In August Maryland a small group of us pulled encroaching bracken the Betony and Devil’s-bit Scabious at the edges of the during the spring and we are planning a work party in two bogs put on a wonderful show and was useful to late November to cut back fallen willows – do come if bees and other insects after the hay was cut. you can. Suzanne Noble, formerly of the PlantWild seed At Kingcoed Meadows professional company, is now specialising in growing native orchids photographers have been taking shots each month and she collected some seed from our Greater Butterfly through the season from fixed points and also from Orchids at this reserve. overhead drones, for a forthcoming film on the wildlife of different habitats in Wales. Roger Ruston has also found a good population of the scarce Long-horned Bee at the meadows where Tufted Vetch seems to be especially important (see his article later in this newsletter). He alerted me to vehicle tracks through the meadows in June and Rachel Morgan followed this up contacting the adjacent landowner from where the tracks emerged and it turned out that a Hot

Betony at Wet Meadow, Dick Coates At Wet Meadow near Trellech Dick Coates continues to keep an eye on things and has been weeding the new and preparing long gaps in internal ready for planting up in the New Year. We are obtaining hedge plants from Tom Ward-Jackson through the Long Forest Project. Neville Hart of Gwent Emergency landing at Kingcoed, Wildlife Trust has rolled the bracken around the edges Keivan Edwards twice and that has made a huge difference in weakening

Contact MMG If you are not a member and would like to join contact our membership secretary Marilyn Dunkelman on 01600 860031, [email protected] or use our online membership form Contributions to the newsletter or items for the web site can be sent to Marilyn For general information please contact Sheelagh Kerry on 01873 890598 or [email protected] Contact details for our Committee, as well as our news and events and information about our meadow reserves at Kingcoed and Maryland, are on our web site www.monmouthshiremeadows.org.uk Follow us on Twitter @MonMeadows

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Air Balloon had made a landing on the meadow and the hybrids and we saw the first known Southern Marsh tracks were from the vehicle that collected the balloon. Orchids from the meadows as well as a host of other We are expecting a donation for this! interesting plants. Our hosts very kindly provided tea Elsewhere, photographer Nanette Hepburn of and refreshments for members. The second was an Hepburn Photography has been taking photographs of evening walk around lovely meadows at Ty Major in the orchids at a number of sites, including Wet Meadow, for hills near Forest Coal Pit, owned by Sheelagh Kerry and an article that will be in Landscape magazine. her partner Peter Smith. The views and the orchids were appreciated by all and again refreshments were on offer. Mowing jobs The Group’s Tracmaster has been put to good use with David Llewellyn mowing several garden meadows at Penallt, a field of almost an acre at Beacon Farm on Beacon Hill and a large orchard at Llanlowell House near Usk. Lindsay Tyler also used the machine to mow a member’s orchard and path in the Valley.

Ponies The two Exmoor Ponies were at their summer home with Jane and Tony Pannett near until the end of August before being moved to the Virtuous A glorious open evening at Ty Major Well to have their feet trimmed and graze off some vegetation at this wetland. They are now at Nigel and MMG was also present at the National Bee Day Jane Seabourne’s fields on Common and event at the Nelson Gardens in , Gwent are scheduled to graze fields on Barbadoes Hill, in the Wildlife Trust’s Open Farm Sunday at Pentwyn reserve, Whitebrook and Angidy Valleys and at Manson Barn near and at the and Usk Shows together with Bee Monmouth. Thanks as ever to Alan and Steph Poulter for Friendly Monmouthshire. We thank Phil Powell of Gwent ensuring their welfare and moving them from site to site. Energy cic for sponsoring the tent at Chepstow.

AGM and Open Meadow Days Steph Tyler The AGM seems a long time ago now but was a successful evening with an excellent buffet prepared by members and organised by Judith Carruthers. Colin Cheesman, Programme Director of Plantlife Cymru, the Welsh section of the national plant charity gave a talk first on the work of Plantlife in Wales, particularly concentrating on grasslands, and he showed several short films by Trevor Dines, Plantlife’s Botanical Specialist, on creating a meadow. Our two Open Meadows events were popular and very enjoyable occasions. The first was to Blaentrothy Meadows near Grosmont owned now by Ruaridh and Caroline MacDonald. They form an SSSI and are probably the most important and largest area of species-rich grassland in Monmouthshire. Everyone who came was very impressed with Ready for the Crowds: Martin Fenn-Smith on the MMG the thousands of Heath Spotted orchids and stand at Chepstow Show (Rosemary Parkhouse)

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Committee Roles Welcome to our New The MMG committee is elected each year by our Members members at the spring Annual General Meeting. There We are delighted to welcome these new were no changes to the people this year but a few have members to the group: taken on different roles. Rachel Morgan, our treasurer Jules & Dave Barrell, The Hendre last year, is now vice chair of the group, supporting Sarah Brudenell, Blakeney Steph. The new treasurer is David Llewellyn, who also Carol & Philip Cook, looks after our machinery and drives the Tracmaster. Belinda Davies, Lower Cwmyoy After the AGM, Cecilia Davies stepped down from Huw Evans, Llanvetherine her role as membership secretary, handing over to Helene Gardiner, Garway Hill Mick Goodyear, Symonds Yat Marilyn Dunkelman. The group are very grateful for Richard Helyer, Portishead Cecilia’s work over the last two years and pleased that John Hinderer, Chepstow she will continue to be a member of the committee. Richard Jackson, Tintern The current committee is: Susan & Gareth Jenkins, Llanishen Steph Tyler – Chair Nicholas Macdonald-Buchanan, Cwmyoy Emily Melville-Roberts, St Maughans Rachel Morgan – Vice chair Shane Mills-Heyes, Sheelagh Kerry – Secretary Catherine Nelson, London David Llewellyn – Treasurer Robert & Suzanna Nock, Staunton Marilyn Dunkelman – Membership secretary Sarah Orchard, St Briavels & newsletter/web site editor Roger Ruston, Monmouth Dick Coates – Warden, Trellech Wet Meadow David & Caroline Sharratt, Tidenham Clare Adamson – Publicity officer Sally Simons, Monmouth Steph Poulter – Ponies Elin Sommer, Bryngwyn Cecilia Davies Mark Thornycroft, Trelleck Ruth Thurston, Croesyceiliog Judith Carruthers Guinevere Vaughan, Nantyderry Sarah Cheese John Weale, Welsh Newton Pam Manfield

Grassland Fungi Season is Here

Now the Waxcaps and Pinkgills are appearing in the fields, time to get out the identification guides, and if you haven’t yet purchased a copy of MMG’s publication Grassland Fungi: A Field Guide now is the time. Written by Elsa Wood and Jon Dunkelman, with help from photographers Keith Moseley, Malcolm Schuyl and others, it contains descriptions of 177 species and over 800 photographs, selected to illustrate the key identification points. There is an overview of the process of identifying fungi in the field, with technical terms kept to a minimum and a helpful glossary. The format is A5, 336 pages. The book will be available at a reduced price to members at our Autumn Meeting, or it can be purchased from our official distributors NHBS from their web site www.nhbs.com (search for Grassland Fungi). You can also order it from book shops. Earthy Waxcap, (Jon Dunkelman)

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Autumn Social

Our Autumn meeting starts as usual at 7pm with a review of activities, followed by our main speaker Ruaridh MacDonald, owner of Blaentrothy Meadows, and then a buffet supper and social. Blaentrothy meadows are part of the wonderful organic fam where we held our first Open Day earlier this year, and Ruaridh will be talking about the history and management of the meadows, designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest due to the value of their wildflowers. The Community Centre is a new venue for us. It is located in a Victorian building, the former Park Street Infants School, on Merthyr Road. The entrance to the carpark is near Arms Hotel & Keith Price Volvo garage. Link to online map There’s a charge to cover the cost of the buffet (which includes a glass of wine) but if you are a member and just want to come to the talk it’s free (with a small charge to non-members): • Members: £14.00 each • Non-members: £17.00 each • Meeting only: £2.00 non-members (members free) Please book in advance as we need to know how many people to cater for. You can book online on our web site or contact Marilyn Dunkelman: 01600 860031, or email [email protected] Heath Spotted-orchids at Blaentrothy Meadows (Jon Dunkelman) Send payment by cheque, made payable to Monmouthshire Meadows Group, to Marilyn at The Beeches, The Narth, Monmouth NP25 4QL. If you prefer to pay using Internet banking we’ll send account details when we receive your booking.

Petition to Protect British Meadows

There are so many petitions online these days that it is difficult to know which, if any, to support, but this one on Change.org asks Environment Secretary Michael Gove to remember the plight of wildflower meadows when drafting his proposed wildlife legislation and we think it is one worth signing. At the time of writing the petition was on its way to 200,000 signatures, which just shows we are not alone in valuing our butterflies, bees and wildflowers. The petition was started by Alex Christian and links to PlantLife. Link: Petition to protect British meadows

The new MMG banners had their first outing at the Usk Show in September

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Is Rye-grass Always Greener?

MMG’s main work is supporting landowners who want to manage their grasslands for wildflowers and other flora and fauna associated with traditional meadows. A bigger problem is how to address the wider decline of meadows by encouraging more farmers to revert to less intensive management techniques. One way is to create a market for cattle fed in the traditional way, to make it financially viable for the farmers to convert. Another is to provide evidence that there are other benefits to traditional grazing that could improve the profit margin. With this in mind, the groups behind Save Our Magnificent Meadows campaign have published the results of their research into the potential benefits to cattle and humans, consisting of a review and analysis of existing evidence for the nutritional, medicinal and production value of species-rich grasslands. They concluded that there is some evidence that, while species-rich grasslands do not have the same levels of energy and protein as agriculturally improved grasslands, the herbal content has higher quantities of minerals, and that some plant species contain compounds that help to prevent or reduce illness. Research on livestock grazing herbal leys has shown that the animals tend to put on more weight, produce more milk and maintain health compared with animals on ‘improved’ pasture, but no research has been done on whether this is also the case for species-rich grasslands. However, consumer panels have found that the produce from meadows-grazed livestock is better tasting! The recommendation of the report is that there is a case for investigating whether the identified benefits of herbal leys also apply to species-rich grassland (as seems likely) and to provide firm evidence that plants found on traditional meadows do indeed contain antidotes to ailments of livestock. This would go a long way to persuading commercial farmers to change some of their practices, while providing consumers with a tastier Cattle grazing in sown meadow Courtyard Organic product. Farm near Ringstead in Norfolk ©Emorsgate Seeds The full report, Is the rye-grass always greener? An evidence review of the nutritional, medicinal and production value of species-rich grassland is available at www.magnificentmeadows.org.uk/assets/pdfs/Is_the_rye- grass_always_greener_An_evidence_review.pdf

Gwent Fungus Group

Gwent Fungus Group is a group of enthusiasts who record fungi at sites in Gwent and submit their findings to the South East Wales Record Centre (SEWBReC) and to national databases. Their work, together with that of similar groups throughout the UK, enables mycologists to detect changes in the frequency and distribution of species (for example as a result of climate change) and monitor the spread of fungi “new” to the UK, or the decline of those formerly abundant. Although the primary aim is to record species as an aid to conservation, if they find a nice group of edible fungi they are not averse to collecting some to eat! Some members are interested in larger species, others in tiny ones that require microscopic work for identification. Other have special interests such as woodland or grassland fungi, or in fungi photography. The group welcomes beginners and there will always be people ready to give help with identification. They have a new web site where you can find contact details if you are interested in joining them at www.gwentfungi.org.uk

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More Encounters with Long-horned Bees Roger Ruston

Bee expert Roger Ruston has been surveying MMG reserves at Kingcoed and Trellech, and at Middle Crwys near Hendre. This is his report of his 2018 findings. Long-horned Bees (Eucera longicornis) are mainly found in Devon and Cornwall and along the coast of south Wales (Saunders 2018). They can also turn up well away from the coast, as testified by Cheryl Cummings, a member of the Meadows Group, who photographed one in her Monmouth garden on 19 June.

Female Long-horned Bee at Kingcoed

spread out over the meadow. Almost every patch of vetch was being worked by at least one female.

Long-horned Bee (Cheryl Cummings) This made it easier to count them accurately. At about the same time, at Middle Crwys, near Hendre, In 2017 I reported on Long-horned Bees in the Monmouth area, about how precarious their small local population is, and what threats they face in the agricultural environment. I'm glad to say that in 2018 their numbers have been well up on previous years in at least two local meadows. On 30 June at Kingcoed Meadow, I found 11 bees, of which 8 were females, and on 9 July, 25 females. These were all foraging on the large patches of Tufted Vetch which are such a striking part of the flora there. As solitary bees go, they are large, and females move among the flowers with slow deliberation, well Male Long-horned Bee at Middle Crwys

Tufted Vetch at Kingcoed where I had found a few in 2016, there was more than double the number this year. The dominant bee-plant there is Bird's-foot Trefoil, which now covers a large grassy field previously grazed by working horses and for many years untreated by chemicals. I am still in the dark about where the Long- horned Bees are nesting at either location. They are hole-in-the-ground nesters, requiring areas of bare soil, preferably in a bank – a habitat missing from the meadows at Kingcoed, though my search has yet to cover the whole area. On 3 August I visited again only to find the meadow already mown up to the margins, and no

www.monmouthshiremeadows.org.uk Page 7 bees in sight. Not wanting to waste a journey, I followed different species predominating on different flower the footpath into neighbouring Pencarreg Farm where I patches: Buff-tailed (terrestris) on brambles, White- found rough pasture with thistles providing forage for tailed (lucorum) on Rosebay and Garden Bumblees bumblebees and small ground-nesting furrow bees. On a (hortorum) on Betony. large area of exposed clay soil, worn bare under cattle hooves, there were from 40 to 50 insect holes large enough to admit Long-horned Bees. The distance from this site to the flower meadow is less than 700 metres, which is about the limit for Long-horned Bees' foraging journeys, according to a recent British Wildlife article (Saunders 2018). However, the season was over by then, and I will have to wait until 2019 to know whether I have found the nest site. At least it suggests that farmland adjacent to the flower meadow may have habitats that are important for the survival of the meadow's bee fauna, before and after mowing. I wish I could also report on the continued success of the Brown-banded Carder Bee (Bombus Garden Bumble Bee worker humilis), but I can't. After finding two queens at Kingcoed on 2 June, I found no more bees this year, even I was also pleased to find, resting on some large when the Tufted Vetch was in flower at the beginning of logs lying among the flowers, two large hole-nesting July. solitary bees – a Wool Carder and a Wood-carving Leaf- cutter – proof that leaving a few logs about the meadow Unlike Common Carder Bees, Brown-banded has benefits. Carders are late emerging from hibernation and may still be prospecting in early June. They are field nesters, requiring 'tall but open vegetation structure, allowing the warmth of the sun to penetrate to the base of the grass stems, with a litter layer of dead grass and/or mosses' (Benton, p. 380). The nests reach maturity during August and new queens and males continue to emerge into September. Their life-cycle must have been severely tested in 2018 by the prolonged hot, dry weather. Besides putting bumblebees under heat stress, it also reduces nectar production in the flowers. It certainly shortened the trefoils' and vetches' flowering period, which was effectively over by the middle of July, much earlier than the previous year. The early mowing would have finished any further bee Wool Carder Bee at Middle Crwys activity. References Other bees, with different requirements, were more fortunate. At Wet Meadow, with Knapweed Benton, T. 2006 Bumblebees, Collins. coming into flower in July, numbers of Red-Tailed Saunders, P. 2018. The Conservation of the Long-horned Bumblebees (Bombus lapidarius) were up from single Bee in Cornwall. British Wildlife, Vol. 29, No 5: 321-7. figures to many thousands by 17 July. More cloud cover and a consequent drop in day-time temperature may have helped. Compared with Kingcoed, the greater variety of flowers at Wet Meadow at this time may explain the greater variety of bumblebees on show, with

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Members’ Meadows

Our members have meadows of all shapes and sizes, from extensive areas of flower-rich fields such as Blaentrothy Meadows SSSI, to a small patch of min- meadow in the garden. Some are just starting to encourage their wildlife patch, some have land that has been farmed traditionally for centuries. But they all have a common aim, and everyone shares a pride in their own success. We asked members to send in their meadow achievements this summer, and we have been impressed. Here’s a selection, starting with a few First Common Spotted-orchid Greater Butterfly-orchid Sightings: (Tim & Julie Moss) (Pam & Peter Lloyd) Tim and Julie Moss in Tintern have been visited by an Early-purple Orchid for some years, but for the first time this year it was joined by a Common Spotted- orchid. Pam and Peter Lloyd at New Grove Farm are used to seeing a wealth of orchids as they live next to ’s New Grove Meadows, but this is the first year they have seen a Butterfly Orchid. Rhian Williams-Flew and Alastair Flew have a Green-winged Orchid Heath Spotted-orchid garden meadow at their home in Penallt, and this year a (Rhian Williams-Flew) (Phil Pickersgill) first Green-winged Orchid appeared, hopefully the first of many in future years. Phil Pickersgill and Isabel MacDonald found their first Orchid on their half acre meadow in the Olchon Valley. This one is a Heath Spotted-orchid. Mark Thorneycroft at Beacon Farm found a large patch of Harebells which our Tracmaster driver David avoided when mowing there, and Amanda and Richard Newhouse also had Harebells appear on their steep First Ever Haystack Small Tortoiseshell garden bank in Parkhouse. (Belinda Davies) (Sally Simons) We’ve also had some pictures of ‘firsts’ that aren’t flowers. Sally Simons sent in a photograph of a new visitor to her garden in Monmouth, a Tortoiseshell butterfly on verbena flowers. Belinda Davies of Cwmyoy shared a picture of her first ever haystack, which is very impressive. Sarah Clay at St Arvans submitted a picture of her glorious meadow, looking very healthy and full of flowers. We also like to hear about people’s progress with their meadows. In 2015 Jon Dunkelman spoke at our spring meeting about his site on The Narth, and showed Sarah Clay’s Meadow at St Arvans

www.monmouthshiremeadows.org.uk Page 9 a graph of the increase in Common Spotted-orchids since moving there in 2011. He’s sent an update to that graph (below). This year’s count is 221, mostly Common

Spotted-orchids (204), but a Broad-leaved Helleborine appeared in 2015 and this year they had increased to 16. Other new species of flora, fauna and fungi appear every year - this year’s firsts include Burnet Saxifrage, Silver- washed Fritillary and Earthy Waxcap.

Burnet Saxifrage (Jon Dunkelman)

Three years ago, David Emerson first reported Green-winged Orchids in his meadow at Leys Hill near Ross on Wye. When the land was purchased twelve Silver-washed Fratillary years ago it was tussocky and neglected, with a handful (Jon Dunkelman) of Greater Butterfly-orchids. With the recommended regime of late summer cutting and grass removal plus the addition of Yellow Rattle, they now have six Orchid species, two in significant numbers, including • about 550 Common Spotted-orchids which started with one orchid eight years ago • 4 full Southern Marsh-orchids, and now a growing number of hybrids with the Common Spotted-orchids • 80 Pyramidal Orchids, from the first only four years ago

• From the first Green-winged Orchid, this year 3 Green-winged Orchid (left) and Common Spotted-orchids flower spikes and 3 more non-flowering rosettes at Leys Hill (David Emerson) close by • At least one Twayblade, first spotted last year David says “Although the Green-winged Orchids feel a little special to us, there’s really nothing very special about the meadow, other than perhaps the usual reminder that with the right conditions (we are on limestone), suitable management. and a little time, a good meadow can develop, and orchids at least will find their way in. It’s been a very rewarding experience for us, and one that gives much joy – happily enhanced by being with Monmouthshire Meadows for the guidance and sense of shared meadow fellowship!” David Emerson’s meadow at Leys Hill

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Assessing the Need for a Management Service for Meadow Owners

Many meadow owners and local wildlife site machinery (an option where hay making is no longer a owners rely upon local farmers and contractors, often viable option), as well as other services such as those that still have small scale machinery, to make hay, woodland ride management, stock fencing, installing mow and ‘top’ grasslands, control bracken and bramble new gates, tree felling, scrub control, hedgelaying, etc. and generally help with the annual management of This could include grazing by a ‘flying flock’ of rare breed these important wildlife habitats. Maintaining the sheep. Not a comprehensive list but a flavour of a positive management of this network of sites is vital for potential service. our wildlife to survive and be able to move through the However, as part of a proper business planning landscapes of Monmouthshire and the wider Gwent. approach, GWT would like to assess if there is a market Anecdotally, it seems that it’s getting harder and harder for this approach, before committing to the investment to find people to undertake this work or who still have and organisation that will be required to set up and suitable machinery to do so. deliver this opportunity. Thus we would like to ask Thus, Gwent Wildlife Trust is investigating an Monmouthshire Meadow owners for your opinion by option to help these meadow owners by providing a land answering the few questions on an online survey at management service, utilising the land management SurveyMonkey. expertise and equipment that is currently being used to Go to: www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/2HB5BRZ to manage GWT nature reserves. This service would have take part. to cover its costs by charging a daily rate for undertaking If you have any problems accessing or using this the work, like every other business or service, but would survey, contact Neville Hart at [email protected]. do so with an express objective of maintaining and who can send the questions direct. enhancing the condition of wildlife rich sites. This service would likely include grassland management options for Many thanks for your cooperation and input. topping, bracken bruising, use of flail mow and collect Neville Hart, Living Landscape Manager, Usk to Wye

Hedgehogs: Halting the Decline

Hobo’s rescues, rehabilitates and adult hogs, our attention now turns to autumn juveniles releases hedgehogs in the and hibernation. A hedgehog needs to weigh a minimum and area. We have two of 600 grams to survive hibernation, hogs born later in dedicated hedgehog hogspitals (!) and we the season will not make this weight and need to also provide advice for other wildlife and work with overwinter in rescue. other rescues specialising in other species. Following a Please help your visiting hogs by providing a busy season for orphaned urchins/hoglets (young shallow dish of fresh water and maybe consider hedgehogs) and the usual variety of injured and sick supplementing their diet by providing a plate of hedgehog or cat biscuits. If you see a hedgehog out during the day, they need help, please ring your local rescue for advice. The UK hedgehog population is in severe decline, but we can all help. Please consider making your garden wildlife friendly and join thousands of people UK-wide providing hedgehog highways in their gardens, by cutting a small hedgehog-sized hole in any fencing. Hedgehogs travel between 1-2 km per night to feed, one garden is not enough. Please ensure hedgehogs can travel freely between gardens. Please do not use slug pellets in your

www.monmouthshiremeadows.org.uk Page 11 garden, slugs form part of the hedgehog diet, so the to make your garden more hedgehog and wildlife hedgehog also dies from ingesting those pellets. friendly. Autumn means bonfires. Hedgehogs often make Any questions or advice please email their nests in bonfires so please check your bonfires [email protected] or ring Rosie on before lighting. Rescues are very busy with hedgehog 07977 171743 or Carol on 07922 176767. Please note we burns victims in autumn. are entirely volunteer run so may not answer straight Other potential hazards include strimmers, bird- away but we will return your call. In an emergency netting, ponds which cause death and injury to so many contact your local vet or Vale Wildlife Hospital on 01386 hedgehogs, please see The British Hedgehog 882288. Follow us on Facebook at Hobos Hedgehog Preservation Society’s website for helpful tips and advice Rescue.

Local Wildlife Sites

Many of you will be aware of what a Local Wildlife We have been surveying and “designating” Local Site (LWS) is, as you are in fact the proud owners of one! Wildlife Sites in Gwent (chiefly within Monmouthshire) For those who don’t know, it is worth an explanation and since 2004. There is now a network of 400+ LWS within also to reinforce to all why they are so valuable. Monmouthshire with new sites still being identified. The Local Wildlife Sites are a way of recognising some majority of the LWS are grassland with a more limited of the best places for wildlife locally. They are areas number of Woodland and Traditional Orchard LWS. considered to be of particular conservation value We however recognised that the survey because of the habitats or species they support. They are information for quite a lot of the sites was becoming non-statutory but in many cases are every bit as valuable dated so between 2015-2017, through funding by as SSSI’s. Natural Resources Wales we thoroughly resurveyed 150 They play a crucial role by providing wildlife of the grassland sites that had originally been surveyed refuges, protecting threatened species & habitats, and pre-2008. We may well have visited you and if so you will enhancing connectivity by acting as links and corridors have received updated floral lists for your meadows and between other valuable sites. management advice to help maintain and enhance your grassland for nature Adder’s-tongue Fern Green-winged Orchid conservation. Part of the management advice was the provision of a series of “Habitat Manage- ment Toolkits” which were bespoke dependent on the grassland habitat type (meadow, pasture, marshy, acid etc.), additional features (ponds, hedgerows etc.) and management issues (scrub, Bracken, invasive species) etc. present. Downloadable copies of the 14 toolkits are available for everybody at www.gwentwildlife.org/what- we-do/projects/lws-se-wales- project-completed

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The 150 updated surveys covered 322 individual value of the grassland as 54% of the individual fields field units all of which were surveyed individually. It was would have benefitted in alterations of this as follows: pleasing to note that all 150 LWS were still of LWS quality • Overgrazed – 92 fields (29%) overall, although a very small number of individual fields • Under-grazed/Need cutting (or at least more had lost LWS quality. This is a testament to the effort the frequently) – 62 fields (19%) landowners have put in to the sympathetic management • Cut too frequently – 13 fields (4%) of their fields and also the advice, encouragement and in • Other – 6 fields (2%) some cases grant support MMG and GWT have been able to provide to the landowners. The surveys did further reveal the value of the LWS with a very impressive number of floral species Having said this, the surveys did highlight that being recorded as follows: whilst still LWS quality, there had been noticeable changes in ecological quality of the fields with 51% Overall broadly the same, 27% noticeably reducing in quality and Grass Species 42 22% noticeably enhanced in quality. Whilst the Rush & Wood-rush species 13 enhancements in 22% of the fields is very pleasing, the Sedge Species 20 27% where quality had noticeably decreased was more Fern & Horsetail Species 14 of a concern and it was important to try to address this 89 before they deteriorated too much. To this end we analysed each site to see where there were potential Flowering Herbs 259 management issues as follows: Woody Species 39 • Bracken – 61% of the 150 sites had Bracken issues Total Species 387 although thankfully these were not too great in most. This floral diversity in turn supported a wide • Scrub – 16% of the sites had some scrub issues but variety of fauna, making these sites truly invaluable. only at 3 sites was this a major issue in. • Invasive Non-Native Species – These were thankfully If your site is a LWS and was surveyed originally only present on 7% of the sites and hopefully having prior to 2008 and we didn’t get round to you, apologies. been flagged up early can now be controlled. We do however hope to survey the remaining 110 sites should funding become available. It is recognised that wildlife conservation may not be the principal driver behind the management of the If your site is not currently a LWS but would like to LWS but it was however flagged up that changes in know whether it is and potentially become part of this grazing or cutting regimes could enhance the ecological network of sites then please contact Andy Karran at [email protected] who will be happy to come out and do a survey. Regardless of whether your site is LWS quality, the fact that you are MMG members Devil’s-bit Scabious and care about the grassland you own is great and we are always keen to support you and the work of MMG. Andy Karran, Gwent Wildlife Trust

Ragged Robin

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Dates for your Diary Check our web site www.monmouthshiremeadows.org.uk for details, location maps and updates

Thursday 4th October: MMG stand at an event at Usk Castle hosted by the Welsh Historic Gardens Trust (WHGT). The evening will feature a conversation with William Wilkins CBE, founding chairman of the WHGT, prominent artist and instigator of the Aberglasney Garden restoration amongst many other roles. The evening starts with a tour of the castle and garden at 5.15pm. Tickets for non-members are £12, contact Anthea Prest, [email protected]. or phone 01594 531007 or 07887 787953. There’s more on the Trust’s web site www.whgt.wales Sunday 7th October: Gwent Fungus Group will be holding an open event at Pentwyn Farm in Penallt to mark UK Fungus Day. Fungus identification, specimen displays and fungi walks. Open from 2pm to 4.30pm, free of charge. Directions to Pentwyn Farm reserve are on Gwent Wildlife Trust’s web site Tuesday 16th October: Monmouthshire Meadows Autumn Get-together, at Community Centre with speaker Ruaridh MacDonald, owner of Blaentrothy Meadows followed by a buffet supper. Details in this newsletter and the booking form is on our web site Tuesday 16th October: Meadows Group event Healthy Soil for Healthy Grassland and Healthy Livestock 12.30pm to 3pm at Upper Pengethley Farm, Peterstow, HR9 6LL courtesy of Julian and Sue Partridge. Booking essential through Herefordshire Rural Hub [email protected] or telephone 01432 353465. Details on the group’s web site Gwent Wildlife Trust run events throughout the year: www.gwentwildlife.org/whats-on

Monmouthshire Meadows Group is grateful for all the help both financial and physical given by our members. We are also indebted to the following for their sponsorship and help: Tom Ward-Jackson of Keep Wales Tidy; Sustainable Development Fund, a Natural Resources Wales initiative in the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB); Gwent Wildlife Trust; Monmouthshire Natural Assets Project; Bee-friendly Monmouthshire; Raglan Community Council

The following sponsors assisted with the purchase of Supported by Kingcoed Meadows: Biffa Award, The Alan Evans Memorial Trust, The Banister Charitable Trust, Foyle Foundation, Gwent Wildlife Trust, Habitataid, Ricardo Crawley Trust, New Grove Trust and Waterloo Foundation.

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